Support

1 in 5 children in Erie County are food insecure. The Y’s Meals for Kids program creates access to healthy foods and enrichment opportunities during critical out-of-school time. At Erie County community-based sites, the Y serves free meals to children 2-18 during the summer months. Meals are served at locations throughout Erie County including food desert locations. These areas are serviced by Erie County’s only mobile meals site for kids – YMCA Food + Fun Bus. Additionally, the Y’s Teaching Kitchen program explores and teaches life-skills and food-service careers.

We commit to limiting processed foods and increasing fresh fruit and vegetables in our meals through our program and community-based meals sites.

How the Y is currently helping:

With existing funding, the Y served 195,000 free meals to reduce childhood hunger during critical out-of-school times in 2022.

Reduced federal reimbursements, inflation of direct food costs, and increased wages for staff has narrowed operating margins. This has created a need for donations in order for the Y to maintain the scope of the Meals for Kids program.

The program operates at a deficit in excess of $80,000.

How You Can Help Keep Kids Nourished:

Y donors contribute to the Y’s Meals for Kids Fund– a fund that provides financial resources to close the gap between federal funding and rising operating costs.

Will you help us reduce childhood hunger so Erie’s kids can reach their full potential? Our goal is to raise $50,000.

1 out of 2 Erie County residents reports poor health.

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Nourishing Bodies

OUR MISSION